


Side by Side

by erinyeserinno



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Pining, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, and theres davey/jack and kath/sarah but they're barely there, but its super long and its all fluff, im not sorry, most of the characters are pretty minor, not sure what else to tag this as
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 08:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11643057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erinyeserinno/pseuds/erinyeserinno
Summary: “Remember Albert, your soulmate doesn’t complete you or your life. You can still live happily without ever knowing them. Your soulmate is simply there to help you be the best you possible. They’re there to walk through life right beside you," His mother explained.Their souls seemed to know they belonged together, even if their minds didn’t yetOr the one where Albert and Race spend their lives side by side and remain painfully oblivious to what's right in front of them, the world of soulmates is complicated, and their moms end up spelling it out for them.





	Side by Side

**Author's Note:**

> hi, here's +16k of ralbert fluff that I got carried away with. I fell in love with this ship and I'll take it to my grave. These boys are so pure and they make me very happy. I figured they deserved more recognition and fics so I made this. Also, sorry for any gramatical errors and the switching point of view. Hopefully it's not too confusing. Anyway, please enjoy! Took me a while so I'm just glad to finally be posting it.

-Race- 

One thing everyone knew about Antonio Higgins was that wherever he went, his best friend Albert was never far behind. The two were practically inseparable since they met in preschool. They enjoyed their childhood together, survived the cringe-worthy moments of middle school, and graduated high school walking side by side. Whatever the world threw at them, they could handle. This, however, threw them for a bit of a loop.

Race’s jaw dropped. His mind went completely blank and he just stared at his mom and Ms. DaSilva sitting across the table from him. Albert seemed equally as frozen beside him and proved to be no help in comprehending the situation. Race’s mind came back to life and began moving a mile a minute. He shook his head a few times and stuttered, looking for the right words. The two women were smiling-- no beaming-- from ear to ear. Race made helpless gestures and practically screamed,

“WE’RE WHAT?”

His mom sighed and straightened in her seat. “Okay, maybe we should explain.”

\---

“Uh, can I sit here?”

Anthony glanced up and saw a shy redheaded boy before him, glancing between the other boy and his shoes. He seemed far too nervous. Anthony hoped he wasn’t the one making the boy nervous. That would be bad. So, to comfort the boy, Anthony gave a big smile.

“Hi, Albert! Of course you can,” the small six year old scooted over to make room for the other boy. 

The lunch table was long enough, but Anthony wanted to make sure his friend had plenty of room on the bench to be comfortable. The first day of first grade was easy for Anthony, but that was because his mom told him to be brave, so he was. Maybe Albert’s mom hadn’t told him that. That was okay, Anthony told himself, he could be brave for the both of them. He liked Albert. They were in the same preschool class and had been pretty good friends for a while.

Albert grinned happily and plopped down beside Anthony. The two ended up splitting his goldfish and Albert gave him half of his homemade cookie in return. He didn’t know it at the time, but Anthony’s warm welcome helped Albert a lot. He had a friend who was there everyday, calling him over to the lunch table. The other boys were nice, but it was always Anthony waving to him.

For the rest of the year, Albert stuck to Anthony’s side like glue and the blonde boy didn’t mind in the least. Everything about Albert was fun! Except maybe the fact that he was taller than Anthony was. When he complained to his mom, she just patted his head and told him that perhaps one day he would outgrow Albert. That cheered Anthony right up.

\---

It’s tradition, at least in the United States, that all kids are taught about soulmarks in the fifth grade. Most have a decent understanding of it from their parents, but they’re officially exposed to it around the age of ten or eleven. So first they are hit with puberty explanations and then “the soulmates talk” is close after.

Anthony and Albert first showed each other their soulmarks in the third grade. Albert was fascinated by them and learned all he could from his parents and any soulmate book he could get his hands on. Anthony had a basic knowledge, but he just loved the idea of falling in love. Albert teased him for being such a romantic.

“I’m bored, Albie,” Anthony said flopping backwards on his bed, splaying his arms across the mattress. Their sleepovers were always legendary, but tonight Anthony couldn’t come up with squat. “What should we do?”

Albert didn’t reply. Confused, Anthony sat up and saw the other boy staring at him. The blonde followed Albert’s eyes to where they were focused in on his forearm. 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to stare,” Albert said sheepishly.

“That’s okay,” Anthony shrugged. He could see why Albert was intrigued by soulmarks; they were really cool. “Come here.”

Albert sat beside him and Anthony showed him his forearm. Written in fairly neat handwriting were the words, Wow, I love your firetruck. His Words were odd, but Race loved them. He was happy he didn’t have ordinary ones like “Hello” or “Excuse me.” 

“They’re kinda strange,” Albert admitted.

“I know,” Anthony beamed proudly. “I can’t wait to grow up and become a firefighter and meet my soulmate.”

“You think that’s what it means?” Albert wondered.

“Well, yeah. What else could it be? Clearly I’ll save my soulmate from a fire and then when they’re safe they’ll see my firetruck and then they’ll say my words and then we’ll fall in love.,” the blonde boy sighed dreamily.

Albert laughed. “You sure have this figured out.”

“Of course.”

They sat for a bit, but then Anthony’s curiosity got the best of him. 

“What do your words say?”

Albert looked uncertain, but eventually he pulled his tee shirt over his head and showed Anthony his back. Trailing along the back of his left shoulder were messy words that said, Want to play with it? 

“Huh. That’s weird. I have no idea what that could mean. How do you think you’ll meet your soulmate?” Anthony asked as Albert put his shirt back on and turned to him.

He shrugged and said quietly, “I don’t know.”

“That’s okay. You don’t have to worry about it. That’s fate’s job,” Race comforted him.

“Yeah,” Albert agreed. 

They didn’t talk about their soulmarks again for a while.

-Albert-

As expected, the subject came up again in fifth grade. Everyone dreaded the puberty conversation, but when it came to soulmates the students were excited. Unlike for the puberty talk, both the boys and girls remained in the same room to learn about the soulmate system and how it worked. Albert was overly eager for this day, while Anthony just laughed at him and shook his head. They both knew that Anthony was just trying to play off his own excitement.

Albert listened attentively as their teacher droned on and on about information he already knew. Anthony sat at the desk beside him, resting his head in his hand with his arm propped for support. Albert glanced at him, saw him beginning to drift to sleep, and shoved his shoulder. The blonde boy’s arm slipped and he smacked his head on his desk and perked right back up. Much to Albert’s enjoyment, it caused a disturbance in the class and the teacher snapped at his best friend to quiet down.

Anthony glared at the boy beside him and readjusted in his seat so he wouldn’t fall asleep again. Albert was about to tell him to pay attention when a girl in the class raised her hand. The teacher called on her.

“How come the boys and girls aren’t separated this time?”

“Well,” their teacher explained. “When it comes to body development, males and females go through very different processes. For soulmates, everyone is in the same boat. We all have marks on our skin and gender doesn’t affect the process of finding your other half at all. You are all learning the exact same thing. And for that matter, in sexual reproduction you need a female egg and male sperm, but for soulmates that is insignificant. The system is based on the soul, not the body.”

“Wait, does that mean a girl could have a girl soulmate?” the same student asked.

“Of course. Girls can have girl soulmates or boy soulmates or nonbinary soulmates. And the same goes for everyone else. A boy and another boy can be soulmates. Nonbinary people can be each other’s soulmates.”

The rest of their conversation became background noise to Albert. How could he not have known this? He read what felt like hundreds of books on the subject. A boy and a boy? His eyes mindlessly traveled to the curly haired blonde attempting to balance a pencil under his nose beside him. Albert couldn’t help but smile a little. If his soulmate was as cool as his best friend then, he decided, their gender didn’t matter.

\---

The two boys survived elementary school and were off to junior high in no time. Everyone always said that middle school would be an awkward time, but Albert never took them too seriously until he got there himself.

He and Anthony were still best friends, but it was no longer the two of them against the world. Anthony made new friends and was on his way to becoming quite popular, while Albert began to retreat into his shell. He hung out with Anthony and his group of boisterous friends, but only because the blonde forced him too.

Albert closed his locker and found his best friend’s mischievous, grinning face behind it. The redhead narrowed his eyes.

“What did you do?” 

Mocking defense, Anthony answered, “Me? Why the accusatory tone of voice? I’ve done nothing wrong in my life, ever.”

Albert gave him a look.

“Okay, okay, that’s a bit of a lie,” Anthony admitted with his arms up. “But I promise it’s a good thing this time.”

The two began walking to their next class together side by side through the hallway. This was a routine. Everyday without fail, Anthony would meet Albert at his locker after fourth period so they could walk to their shared fifth together. 

“I got a one-hundred on the science exam!”

“What? No way, man! That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you,” Albert congratulated him, punching him on the shoulder fondly. He knew how much his best friend loved science and how important this exam was for him.

Anthony’s cheeks redden a bit and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, “Thanks.”

“Hey, Racetrack!”

“Yo, Race! We still on for after school?”

The blonde boy looked up and grinned at his two friends walking down the hallway opposite of he and Albert.

“Yeah, of course,” he said giving one of the boys a high five.

They retreated out of view and Albert laughed. 

“Racetrack?”

“Shut up,” Anthony nudged him with his shoulder.

“Do I even want to know how you got that nickname?”

“Probably not.”

And from then on the nickname stuck and Anthony Higgins was better known as Racetrack or Race. At first Albert thought it was ridiculous, but after spending some time with their friends, he realized how well it suited the blonde boy. All of the guys in Anthony’s friend group had nicknames and soon Albert could barely remember their real ones. 

Albert was always just Albert. He knew he wasn’t close enough to the other guys to obtain a nickname, but Race promised that wasn’t the case. Besides, Race liked that Albert was true to his real name. And that made Albert smile.

-Race-

He remembered the day exactly. It was April 19th. After his mom made a side comment about Race seeming taller than the day before, the boy’s first thought was to find Albert immediately and measure the two of them. He practically ran to his best friends house and pounded on the door. When Albert opened it he was extremely confused, but Race just pushed past him and went inside.

“Come in?” Albert said, making note of Race’s lack of manners as he closed the door.

“Ms. DaSilva, we need your help for a second!” Race called up the stairs where he knew his friend’s mom would be.

“Race, what is this all about?” Albert wondered aloud, bewildered, watching his friend happily speed around his house.

Albert’s mother appeared downstairs and greeted Race in the living room with a smile and a warm hug.

“I need you to measure us,” Race explained as he drew back from the hug.

Albert groaned, “This? Again? You’ve been obsessed with being taller than me since we were like six, don’t you think it’s getting a little old?”

Race stuck his tongue out at him.

The redhead scoffed, “Oh, real mature.”

“Alright you two, hush up and stand back to back,” Ms. DaSilva commanded.

Finally, Race shut up and pressed his back against Albert’s. Albert pulled back immediately with a wince and clutched his left shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Race asked concerned.

Albert seemed confused, “Yeah, I think so. It just felt like I was burned on my shoulder. It’s probably nothing, just my imagination.”

Helen DaSilva shifted before them, looking as if she wanted to say something, but she remained quiet. Her eyes darted between the two boys as they simply shrugged and stood back to back again. Race watched as she approached them and he felt a hand on his head, most likely testing to see where the difference in their heights was.

“Well,” Ms. DaSilva decided. “Today is the day. Anthony, you’re officially taller than my son.”

“YES!” Race let out a whoop and jumped around Albert’s living room.

Albert rolled his eyes.

Ms. DaSilva explained that it appeared that Race was only about a half an inch or so taller than Albert. Later on, after a physical at the doctor’s office, Race discovered that he was five-foot-nine now which just barely surpassed Albert’s five-foot-eight stance. He never let it go.

\---

“Did you hear?!” Race barged into Albert’s bedroom.

Caught off guard, Albert jumped and lost his balance, knocking his chair over and toppling onto the ground with a yelp. He quickly scrambled up and faced his eager friend.

“Race! What the hell? Don’t scare me like that!” Albert scolded him.

He waved his hand, dismissing Albert’s frustration. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. That’s not what’s important. Did you hear about Katherine Plumber?”

“Uh… no?” Albert picked up his desk chair and sat back down.

Race made wild hand gestures (a key sign that he was excited) and began to explain, “Katherine met her soulmate!”

Albert’s jaw dropped. “No way! That makes her the first person in our class to meet theirs.”

“I know! And you’ll never believe who it is,” Race’s smile widened.

“Is it not Jack?” Albert furrowed his eyebrows.

Jack Kelly, a friend of Race’s and the most popular guy in the seventh grade class, and Katherine Plumber had been a “thing” for the past three months. No one knew if they were dating or not but everyone knew that something was going on between them.

“Nope!” Race said, popping the ‘P’. “It’s some girl named Sarah who is apparently new in town. I didn’t catch where they met or what their Words were.”

“This is huge,” Albert breathed.

“Yeah, but it must suck for Jack. He sure did like Katherine,” Race shrugged.

Albert remained quiet. Race could almost see as he got lost in his thoughts and retreated into his mind, away from the rest of the world. Most people didn’t recognize when Albert did this, but Race knew his best friend like the back of his hand.

The blonde walked around him and waved a hand in front of his face.

“Hello? Come in, Albert. Did I lose you?” He circled his chair and grabbed his friend’s head. He shook it jokingly, “Wake up, Albert!”

Albert swatted him away, but he smiled.

Race studied him for a moment, “Tell me what’s going on in your head right now.”

The other boy shrugged. “I don’t know really. This is just like the beginning of it all. More people are gonna start finding their soulmates. Doesn’t that scare you?”

“Nah, I’m not too worried. My parents didn’t find each other until their late twenties. I’ve got plenty of time. Besides, I’ve gotta become a firefighter first,” Race grinned.

Albert brought a hand to his shoulder and rubbed subconsciously. He dropped it and said softly, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Listen to me, Albie,” Race grabbed his friend’s shoulders, shaking him slightly. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. And until you find your soulmate, you’ve got me.”

Albert scoffed, “You make it sound like I’m gonna get rid of you as soon as I meet them.”

“Well…” Race released his friend and backed up a bit, scratching his neck.

“What? You don’t seriously think I’d do that, do you? Race, you’re my best friend. No soulmate will ever change that, okay? It’s you and me. Always,” Albert declared, causing Race to smile again.

“Cool,” Race shrugged, trying to hide the fact that he’d been insecure.

“You idiot, just give me a hug,” Albert shook his head and stood, pulling his best friend in for a brief, but nice hug.

They hung out in Albert’s room for the rest of the night. Albert did his homework while Race attempted to start his homework (Albert had no clue how the boy was passing with flying colors when he never did any work). The redhead finally called it quits and plopped down on his bed beside Race, who was sitting cross legged at the top of it.

Albert, lying on his back, turned to look at Race.

“Hey, I know you mentioned it earlier, but do you still want to be a firefighter? Like, are you still convinced that is the path your soulmark is telling you to go?”

Race shrugged, “Well yeah. I’ll definitely become a firefighter. It seems interesting enough. It’s what I’m supposed to do.”

“You sound so sure of yourself,” Albert sighed. “I wish I was like that.”

Race nodded silently. He hesitated before asking, “Could I see your soulmark again?”

Albert sat up quickly, “Why? Er- I mean, why do you want to- it’s exactly the same as it’s always been.” He stuttered, trying not to seem nervous.

“I know, but I only ever saw it once when we were like eight.”

“Well, I can assure you. It looks exactly the same.”

“Albert come on, I barely even remember what it says. You keep it covered up all the time now. I haven’t seen you wear a tank top in years it seems. Your shoulder is always covered,” Race pointed out.

Albert looked down and picked at a hem on his pants, “I just- I don’t really like the idea of people seeing it.”

“Why?” Race said incredulously. “How bad could it be? What does it say again?”

Albert blushed and refused to make eye contact.

“I’m not gonna stop until you tell me.”

Knowing his friend all too well, Albert begrudgingly obeyed. He peeled his shirt over his head and faced his back towards his friend. He could feel Race’s eyes digging into his shoulder.

Want to play with it?

“Come on, what’s bad about that? It’s just-,” Race cut himself off, making the realization. “Oh. Yeah, I can see how that could be suggesting...”

“Yeah,” Albert said bitterly. He felt too exposed with the blonde boy staring into him, into his soul. He threw his shirt back over his head, covering the mark up as he tugged it down.

“Hey, you don’t know that it means-”

“Oh, like you don’t know that your mark means you’ll become a firefighter and save your soulmate heroically or something?” Albert bit out sarcastically. He turned himself and looked Race head-on, “Explanations that go with abstract soulmarks are pretty easy to figure out.”

Race didn’t know what to say. He opened his mouth a few times but nothing came out. There was nothing he could say to ease his best friend, who’s eyes began to fill with tears that he refused to let fall.

“Race,” His voice broke a little. “What if my soulmate is just some creepy pervert I meet in some club when I’m older?”

Race’s heart lurched. 

“That’s not what’s gonna happen, Albie,” he pulled the redhead closer to him and held him in a hug. “Fate doesn’t do that to people. Your soulmate is going to be absolutely amazing. Sure, the Words don’t make sense now, but they will. You have to just trust this stuff.”

Albert sniffed. “I just don’t want people to see my mark and judge me.”

“Hey, look at me,” Race pushed him back and looked him in the eye. “No one will judge you. I won’t let them. No more worries, okay?”

“Alright,” Albert agreed. Race pulled him in for one last hug. While it was dark out and while he could still admit that he was just a scared, vulnerable boy, he asked quietly, “Do you think your parents would mind if you slept over here tonight?”

“I think they would let it swing.”

So Race stayed.

One thing that continued to tug at Albert’s mind through the night was his shoulder. When Race had shook him with his hands on his shoulders in his seat, and later hugged him and swung his arm across it, his left shoulder seemed to burn at the touch. It was right where his soulmark was. He was reminded of a few months ago when he first felt a sting like that, when he and Race were standing back to back. Albert passed it off as slight irritation. Maybe it was just his imagination again. Certainly nothing worth thinking twice about. Right?

\---

It’s summer before eighth grade when Race drags Albert to his first party. Apparently it’s some big celebration for their entire grade and people have been saying it’ll be the highlight of summer and blah, blah, blah. Albert wasn’t looking forward to it. 

Race showed up at Albert’s house unannounced (as per usual) and barged into his room.

“Dude! I’m changing!” Albert yelped. He was really glad he put his pants on first and he was just shirtless.

“Calm down, it’s nothing I’ve never see before,” Race shrugged. 

Albert didn’t say anything, but he also didn’t deny it. Sometimes he worried that he and Race were too close. He slid one arm and then the other into his shirt and began to button it up.

“Aw, look at little Albie, all grown up,” Race cooed.

The redhead blushed. “Shut up. I’m only going to this stupid thing because you’re forcing me to.”

“You’ll thank me later,” Race assured him. 

Albert turned around and held out his arms, “Is this fine?”

Race looked him over. Rather slowly, Albert noted. Then he seemed to zone out.

“Race?”

He snapped back to life and shook his head. “Uh, yeah, you look great- fine.”

It was hard to tell because the blonde turned and rushed out of the room quickly, but Albert swore he caught a tinge of a blush on his friends face. That’s weird, he thought. He could already tell this was going to be a strange night.

Albert’s mom dropped them off at Charlie Morris’s house and told them to be safe and make good choices. Albert wanted to die. Race thought it was adorable. They walked in and were greeted by all of their (Race’s?) friends. The party seemed to be in full swing and everyone was having a good time. Race disappeared into the crowd quickly.

Albert spent the first hour replying to quick “hi”s from people and trying to keep to himself. He found himself in the kitchen leaning against the counter and sipping lemonade. One part of the night he actually enjoyed was meeting the new kid David. David Jacobs had moved in and was starting eighth grade with them in the fall. His sister happened to be Sarah, Katherine Plumber’s soulmate. He was quiet like Albert and they got along well. Turns out Jack Kelly had met him and they had become friends. He explained to Albert that Jack seemed to think he “took Davey under his wing” or something. That made the redhead laugh. Davey would be a good addition to their friend group.

“David, Albert, come play truth or dare with us!” they both turned and saw Charlie, or Crutchie rather, the host, calling them into the living room to join the circle of people forming on the floor. Albert always liked Crutchie. They had been friends since kindergarten, not as close as he and Race obviously, but they would seek each other out in the classes they shared. Crutchie was the most optimistic, cheerful person Albert had ever had the pleasure of meeting. He had a bum leg and walked around with a Crutch (hence the nickname), but nothing seemed to get him down.

The two boys in the kitchen exchanged a look of uncertainty over the invitation.

“Oh come on,” Crutchie pleaded. “It’ll be fun.”

The boys turned their heads simultaneously and gave Crutchie a look.

“Okay, fine. But at least sit outside the circle to hang out with us,” the boy offered.

“I guess there’s no harm in that,” Davey shrugged. Albert silently agreed and they trailed into the living room.

Race perked up when he saw his best friends infamous redhead. “No way! Crutchie did you convince Albert to play? Davey?”

“We’re just watching,” David assured as the two sat on the couch near the circle. Albert pulled up his legs to avoid where Specs and Buttons were leaning against the couch. 

The game itself was kind of funny to watch. The best dares were completed by Jack, Race, and surprisingly Specs. JoJo asked the best truths and set everyone on edge. Everything was fine until the game began to get boring and someone brought up soulmarks. Suddenly everyone was exchanging their Words.

“Elmer what does yours say?”

The black haired boy rolled up the cuff of his jeans and displayed his soulmark on his leg, “Mine just says ‘whoops, sorry’.”

“That sucks,” Mush said. “At least your soulmate has manners.”

“What about you, JoJo? You’ve been making us spill a few too many secrets tonight. What’s yours?” Buttons called across the circle.

JoJo sighed. “Mine’s on my back so I’m not showing any of you, but it says ‘nice pants, dork’.”

A few people laughed. 

“That is amazing,” Katherine said giggling, Sarah leaning against her laughing at her side.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever! I’m over it!”

Eventually they went around the circle and everyone shared. Race proudly flaunted his soulmark when it was his turn. Everyone already knew what it was, Race talked about saving his soulmate from a fire way too often. Albert only chuckled fondly, but a few others groaned when Race began to tell his dream fantasy for the millionth time.

It was all fun and games until,

“Albert, what about you?”

The boy froze. “What?”

“What does your soulmark say?” Jack asked.

Albert’s heart began to race and he could feel panic set in. He could never tell any of these people what his Words said. They would immediately take it as a joke. They would make fun of him. They would make fun of his soulmate. No, no, no, this couldn’t be happening. How did he get trapped in this corner?

“Oh, uh. It just says ‘Hi’,” Albert lied quickly.

“What? Come on, man. I definitely saw it once when we were kids at the lake,” Henry piped up. “It was more than one word.”

Albert couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. His eyes darted around the room, and stopped suddenly on Race’s face. He looked concerned. They made eye contact across the room and Race mouthed, “breathe.” Albert tried but despite focusing on his best friend, he knew the rest of the room was staring at him. God, how long had it been since he spoke? Probably too long. His palms were sweaty. He glanced down at his lap and prayed for the couch to swallow him whole. 

“Guys, oh my god!” Race burst up from his seat. Startled, everyone turned around to see what Race had to say. Albert’s head shot up as well.

“I have a brilliant idea. Do you see that tree outside?” Albert could tell Race was desperate to hold everyone’s attention.

“Race- what the hell?” someone asked, but looked to the window anyway.

“Ten bucks says I can back flip off it!”

Spot Conlon jumped up, “I’ll take that action.”

And just like that, everyone was following Race outside to see him backflip off of a tree branch. Crutchie tagged behind the group, begging Race not to hurt himself. As soon as he was alone, Albert gasped for breath. That was too close. 

It felt like he was only sitting there with his head in his hands for a few minutes, but apparently it was longer. He felt a hand on his left shoulder, a slight burn tingled his body. Albert glanced up and saw Race’s concerned face leaning down towards him.

“Hey, you okay?”

Albert shrugged. Race just took a seat beside him. They sat in comfortable silence for a while.

“Where’s everyone else?”

“Well, after I successfully did not crack my head open and became ten bucks richer,” Race said proudly, “A few others wanted to see if they could too. Now it’s just kind of a free-for-all of tumbling outside. Crutchie looks like he’s about to faint.”

Albert let out a laugh before silence fell on them again.

“Thanks,” He whispered. He looked at his best friend, “for what you did.”

“I’m always here for you,” Race told him. It seemed a bit too soft and a bit too vulnerable for best friends to say, but Albert didn’t say anything to Race. “How about we head out of here and grab some ice cream or something?”

“Sounds like my kind of night,” Albert joked. 

\---

Dating was only common in high school. It was teenagers’ way to say “fuck you” to the soulmate system and rebel. Everyone grows out of it by the time they graduated. People usually meet their soulmate in high school or in close years after. The typical age to meet one’s other half was fourteen to thirty-five. There were always outliers, though; the system wasn’t perfect. Some soulmates would unfortunately meet in their sixties or something. Albert felt sad when his mother first explained soulmates and mentioned this. They missed their whole life together. His mom gave him a hug and told him that their lives become infinitely better when they meet each other; it doesn’t matter how much life left they have. 

“Remember Albert, your soulmate doesn’t complete you or your life. You can still live happily without ever knowing them. Your soulmate is simply there to help you be the best you possible. They’re there to walk through life right beside you,” His mother explained.

Your soulmate helps you be the best you possible.

Albert loved the idea of that and even considering being with someone other than his soulmate horrified him. He never questioned the system, and he never felt the need to rebel. Albert only wanted his soulmate. Dating for Race, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be as big of a problem.

It broke Albert’s heart a little when Race told him he was going on his first date with a girl. He wished his best friend could just wait for his soulmate and understand that they were out there, waiting to love him. He wanted to tell Race this, and try to convince him not to, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Albert didn’t want to hurt their relationship. Besides, what Race did about his soulmate was none of Albert’s business.

So Race dated. Freshman and Sophomore year passed by with a blur of girls. Some of them Albert met, others he never bothered to learn the names of. He started to miss Race. Nothing changed between them, but Albert felt like he lost a part of Race he never knew he had. It went to all of his dates instead. 

So Albert missed Race. Even when the boy was right next to him.

Sometime during Junior year, the redhead was sitting on his couch when his phone buzzed. He checked it and saw a new message from Race.

Hey, what are you up to tonight?

He sent a reply, Nothing. I’m home alone rn

Can I come over? 

Albert nearly laughed at the message. Do you even need to ask?

You’re right, I’m already outside :)

Albert shook his head and walked to his front door. He opened it and much to his amusement, Race actually was standing outside. He had his phone in hand and a six pack of beers in the other. Albert gave him a look.

“Dude, really?”

Race shrugged and walked past him into the apartment. 

“What would you have done if my mom was home?” Albert shut the door and crossed his arms.

“Dunno. I just figured she was working tonight.”

And of course Race knew when Helen worked. The boy was at their home almost as much as his own. Albert’s mom practically adopted him as a second son already. It had always just been Albert and his mom. She was a single parent and Albert was really all she had. When he met Race, their little family seemed a little bigger. Race came from a family with an older brother who was already in college, a sister a couple grades below them, and twins, a boy and a girl, who just went into seventh grade. His mom and dad were together and although it was hard to juggle their family, they loved each other. They were soulmates. Of course they still loved each other.

Albert used to be jealous of Race’s family. His dad died when he was young and he could barely remember him. His mom was absolutely incredible, and Albert wished she didn’t lose her soulmate; she deserved a happy life. When he was really little he told her this and she just smiled sadly and looked at him and said, “I found a new love. And that’s you, Albie.” 

Race told him once that he liked going to Albert’s house because it was quiet and he felt like he could be heard. He didn’t say anything more, and still hasn’t, but Albert immediately understood then how hard it must be to have so many siblings. Albert adored Race’s little sisters and his little brother (he liked Marco too, but he usually left Race and Albert be because he was older). The Higgins and Dasilva families were close since Race and Albert were attached at the hip. Albert’s favorite thing was how their moms became best friends after the boys did. He liked seeing his mom start to get back out in the world and live her life.

“So where did you get the beer?” Albert asked.

“Marco,” Race said simply.

“Do I want to ask why you have it?”

Race stared at the ground, “I think I have to be a little drunk to talk about it.”

“Okay,” Albert nodded. “Come on.”

The blonde looked at him, confused as Albert began walking away.

“Well, we can’t drink here,” he said as if it were obvious. 

Race followed blindly as Albert walked out of the apartment. He opened the door to the stairwell and began to trek upwards. Albert glanced back a few times to make sure the blonde was close behind him. When they finally reached the very top of the stairs he pushed on the door labeled “TO ROOF.”

The cool night city air hit his face and Albert closed his eyes and breathed deeply. This was the only place he could ever remember getting some fresh air and being able to just breathe. He felt Race pause beside him and Albert slowly peaked open his eyes and grinned at his best friend. The blonde wasn’t looking at him, but instead out at the illuminated city. Albert studied him as his features seemed to soften and he became more at ease. 

“Nice view, huh?” 

Race seemed to jump a little, as if he forgot Albert was even there. He nodded a little and whispered, “Yeah.”

Albert began to walk forward when Race caught his arm.

“Uh, this might be a good time to mention that I’m afraid of heights.” The blonde seemed slightly embarrassed.

Albert laughed, “If you thought I didn’t already know that, you’re an idiot. We’ve known each other for like, what? Thirteen years? Fourteen? I know you’re afraid of heights.”

“Oh.”

Albert tugged out a blanket that he had stuffed in a crack by the door. As he laid it down in the middle of the roof he continued to speak to Race.

“You just don’t like looking down and feeling like you’re gonna fall. But coming up here isn’t about looking down,” Albert plopped onto the blanket and leaned backwards, resting on his back with his arm under his head. Once he was comfortable, he finished, “It’s about looking up.”

Quietly, Race set down his pack of beers and laid down beside the redhead.

“How come you’ve never taken me up here before?” Race wondered aloud.

“I only started coming up here a few months ago. And It was mostly cause I know you don’t like high places,” Albert shrugged.

“It’s nice,” Race reached for a beer.

“Yeah, I like to come up here on clear nights like tonight,” Albert explained. “It’s the only time you can really see any stars.”

They laid in silence for a long time, but Albert had never felt more at peace in his life with Race just laying and existing beside him. He was half convinced Race had fallen asleep until he mumbled something Albert didn’t quite catch.

“What?”

“I said,” Race spoke a little louder, “I wish I could just lie here forever. Forget about everything else in the world.”

Albert didn’t say anything, he just silently agreed. 

“Do you ever want to run away?”

“What?” Albert turned his head to Race in surprise. “Why do you want to run away?”

“Well, I wouldn’t first of all,” Race assured him, “Sometimes I just wish everything would kind of go away. I want to be in charge of my own life, you know?”

“Race, you are in charge of your own life-”

“But I’m not. Not really,” the blonde boy cut him off. “I’ll never be in charge of my life as long as I have this burning into my arm.”

Albert stared at his best friend’s soulmark as he gestured to it. This didn’t seem like Race; it was worrying Albert. The Race he grew up with adored his soulmark and couldn’t wait to save that beautiful girl from a fire. Albert’s best friend loved his soulmate and he hadn’t even met them yet. Where was that guy?

“Race, is this why you came over tonight? Because of your soulmark?” Albert asked, concerned.

“I kissed Jack,” Race blurted sitting up.

And that- well, that was not where Albert thought this conversation was going. 

“Oh,” was all he could think to say.

He made restless gestures with one hand and the beer in the other as he began to ramble about what happened to the redhead who was slowly sitting up too.

“It’s just that- we were drunk and I don’t know. It just sort of happened. It wasn’t like we made out- well a little, but not for very long! It hardly counts. Right? Drunk kissing your friend doesn’t count?” Race began running his hands through his hair, “God, I don’t even know why it happened. It just happened out of nowhere. I barely even remember it; apparently I was more hammered than I thought.”

Albert didn’t know what to say for a moment.

“When did it happen?”

“We were at a party on Saturday,” Race hung his head.

“Okay,” Albert shrugged.

The other boy gave him an incredulous look. “Okay? Is that it? Is that all I get?”

“Well, what do you want me to say? I don’t care who you kiss,” Albert tried to ignore the sudden irritation he felt in his left shoulder.

“Yeah but, it’s Jack. I don’t know why you’re not freaking out more. I kissed Jack. I kissed a guy!”

“So? Do you like Jack? Is that why you two kissed? Why should it matter that he’s a guy?” Albert prompted.

Race paused, at a loss for words.

“Dude, why are you hung up on this?” Albert was genuinely confused. “You’ve kissed tons of girls. This isn’t any different.” 

“It felt different,” Race murmured. “But Jack’s just my buddy. It’s not like I want to date him or kiss him again or anything.”

“Then that’s it,” Albert told him. “You kissed, cool, and that’s it. As long as you two are on the same page there won’t be any problems with your friendship.”

Race held his head in his hands and groaned.

“I’m not hung up about kissing Jack or worried about our friendship, Albie,” he said. “The thing is I liked it. A lot. What if I’m gay? What if my soulmate is a guy?”

Race sounded so weak and scared, it broke Albert’s heart. He scooted closer to his best friend on the blanket and held him in a side hug. Race took a deep breath and rested his head on Albert’s shoulder as best he could in their current position.

“You don’t have to be gay to like guys,” Albert told him quietly, “And if your soulmate is a guy, that’ll be okay too. Whoever they are, you’ll love them.”

Race let out a little, sad laugh. “I already love them.”

Albert smiled and squeezed the boy in his arms.

“I guess it’s just hitting me that I really don’t have control over this shit,” Race spoke softly again. He wasn’t usually vulnerable, but every once in awhile he surprised Albert. “Like my soulmate is just out there and the universe decided that this one person is who I love. I don’t have a say. And I know I’ll love them more than anyone in the world, but I can’t even figure out what kind of person I’m attracted to. Does that make sense? I just want a hint. I need to figure out if the universe really did give me the right match. How do I do that when I don’t know what kind of person I want?”

“You just can’t control it. It’s hard, but you kinda have to have faith in the system,” Albert was at a loss for words. He had no idea what to say. “You’ve dated a lot of girls. Was this why? Were you looking for that hint?”

“I just want to meet them,” Race stared at the beer in his hand. “I guess in my mind by dating I could speed up the process.”

“I want to meet mine too,” Albert whispered. “More than anything. Even though I’m terrified.”

Race pulled away to look Albert in the eyes, “You’re scared?”

“Yeah,” Albert looked sheepish. “I’m still not a fan of my soulmark, but I live with it. I just need to meet them.”

Race looked puzzled, staring at the space between the two boys.

“Albert, when we were kids… Well, you’ve just always liked the idea of a soulmate… have you-,” Race looked like he was struggling for the right words. “Have you ever- Did you ever stray from your soulmate?”

“No, I haven’t,” Albert told him, sighing.

“So you’ve never-,” Race gulped. “Done anything? You’ve never kissed anyone?”

Albert shook his head.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. My mom was only ever with my dad too. I thought it was romantic. I also never really saw the appeal of dating because I’ve had my heart set on my soulmate ever since I knew what my Words meant,” Albert explained. 

Race got a faraway look in his eyes that Albert didn’t notice. His best friend’s features softened even more than they had when he first stepped on the roof. He studied his best friend’s face as Albert dreamily talked about his soulmate. 

“I’ll never date, but sometimes I do wonder, though... But, that’s not really important. We were talking about your soulmate, Race,” Albert noticed his best friend didn’t seem to be listening. He was staring at Albert’s face, but not his eyes. His gaze was below that. “Race?”

Suddenly, Race was all too close and his hand was gently cupping Albert’s face. He could feel the blonde’s breath as his eyes flickered from his brown eyes to what Albert now understood was his mouth. 

“I need you to stop me if this isn’t okay,” Race’s voice was so quiet Albert knew he wouldn’t have heard him if they weren’t this close. His words registered in Albert’s mind and a small part of him was saying this is a bad idea. But, it was a small part. Albert was surprised by how right this felt. This was Race. 

Albert didn’t stop him.

The blonde-haired boy pressed his lips to Albert’s and his eyes flickered closed. The kiss was soft and gentle, so unlike Race that Albert could’ve laughed under other circumstances. He instead, followed Race’s lead and kissed back. The blonde-haired boy’s lips were rough, but Albert couldn’t get enough of them. His hands gripped the edges of Race’s flannel shirt as they tried to get impossibly closer. Race shifted his weight onto his knees and deepened the kiss. One of his hands rested on the blanket, propping him up, while the other toyed with red hair. Their kiss turned rougher and more passionate and when Albert felt Race’s tongue against his lips, asking for entrance, he let out a soft, quiet moan. He felt a hotness growing in his stomach and his left shoulder felt like it was on fire. At least he understood the first was because he was turned on. He ignored his shoulder.

Eagerly, the blonde took the noise as a good sign and god, Albert never wanted to stop kissing him. His tongue explored the redhead’s mouth. Race gave a hard tug on his hair and Albert broke the kiss and gasped. He could feel Race’s signature smirk as he began to kiss along his jaw and then his neck. He gently pushed Albert backwards onto the blanket until he was laying on his back. The other boy, albeit a bit awkwardly, hovered over one side of him, pulling away from his neck. 

Race panted as he looked over Albert’s face, messy hair, and pupil-blown eyes. Albert squirmed under his intense gaze. Deciding he didn’t need Race looking at him like he hung the stars, he used the force of his body weight to flip them over so he was on top. Race’s eyes widened in shock as Albert straddled him and took control.

With his forearms resting on either side of Race’s head, he reconnected their lips. Race’s hands were everywhere. As their tongues fought for dominance, Race’s hands slid up the bottom of his best friends shirt, wanting to touch more and more. Albert shivered as he felt the blonde’s calloused hand trace over his abs. Race pushed the shirt up further so it gathered around the other boy’s armpits and Albert broke the kiss to gasp as the cool air spread to his now-exposed stomach and back. Race bit his lip as his eyes traced the redhead’s body and let out a quiet “damn.” Albert blushed fiercely; he was more muscular than most people assumed and Race must not have realized that he began working out at the beginning of sophomore year. 

“Why’d you never tell me how hot you got, Albie?” Race’s voice was quiet and teasing.

Albert promptly shut him up by drawing him in for another unforgiving, passionate kiss. They continued to make out and the shorter boy began to completely lose himself in the blonde beneath him. Everything in his mind was just Race, Race, Race. Said boy leaned up a bit, pressing their chests flush together. One hand slid along Albert’s back, driving him crazy, and the other tangled in his long red hair again. Race tugged him down with him so he rest back on the ground. Albert broke the kiss and began trailing open mouthed ones down Race’s neck and to his collar bones. He sucked and kissed in one spot and when he pulled away he feared that it would definitely leave a mark. As he rubbed his finger gently over the spot, Race whined. The redhead had never heard a better sound before. The kiss traveled back to their lips. Flush against the boy, Albert lost himself, grinding down hard against an equally aroused Race.

“Fuck,” Race moaned loudly.

Albert had never felt anything so good in his life. Without thinking, he moved to do it again, when Race stopped him and gave him a softer kiss.

“We should,” he panted, “We should probably slow down.”

Albert nodded, catching his breath, letting coherent thoughts back into his brain. He untangled himself from Race and tried to bring his heart rate down as the blonde boy sat up. They sat in complete silence, save for their hard breathing. Albert stared ahead at the shining lights of the city skyline before them. 

He kissed Race. No, he made out with Race. And it was so beyond good he didn’t have any words. All thoughts of the soulmate system were far from his mind.

“So, that was uh… something,” Race scratched his head.

“Yeah. Something,” Albert agreed quietly.

“Shit,” Race cursed quietly and rubbed his face. “Albie, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that- and after everything you said about wanting to wait for your soulmate. Fuck, I just ruined that for you.”

“Hey, hey,” Albert placed a hand gently on his best friend’s arm. “It’s fine. You didn’t ruin anything.”

Race remained silent.

“You’re still my best friend,” Albert reassured him. “I told you once that nothing would ever change that. I meant it.”

“You’re my best friend too,” Race said meeting his gaze. Perhaps they looked too long and perhaps Race’s voice was on the verge of breaking, but they were just boys and they didn’t know how to deal with these things.

“I should probably get going,” the blonde said shifting. He checked his phone. “My mom didn’t want me out too late and it’s like eleven now so.”

Albert nodded, staring ahead.

Race stood silently and walked back to the door to the stairwell. With one hand on it, he turned to Albert one last time.

“So, this won’t change anything?” he asked, unsure of himself. “Could we just call this a drunken mistake and kinda forget about it?”

“Of course,” Albert said, forcing a smile.

“Okay,” Race smiled back. “I’ll see ya.”

He disappeared behind the door and down the stairs and Albert looked at the lights of the city until they started blurring. And no, there was no way he was about to cry. Except, a tear spilled and even Albert couldn’t lie to himself about that. So he sat there and let them fall and tried to steady his breathing. 

The thing was, Albert didn’t really want to forget about it. That was his first kiss. He strayed from his soulmate, his other half, for that kiss. Race made him feel so alive. How could he forget about something that felt so right? Albert wished in his heart that he could just keep kissing Race. It was exhilarating. No one had ever made him feel that way. Maybe it was because he had no one to compare it to or maybe it was just the fact that it was Race, but it made Albert question soulmates for the first time in his life. He felt like an idiot sitting there with tear stains on his face.

He wouldn’t forget. He couldn’t. The boy was sitting beside the long forgotten beer Race held in his hand at the beginning of the night. They came up here to drink and do something stupid. They did something stupid, but the bottle Race held-- it wasn’t even open. 

So much for a drunken mistake.

\---

They didn’t talk about the kiss after that night. They blatantly ignored it, as much as it killed Albert, and carried on with their friendship as per usual. They wanted to believe nothing had changed, but the lingering glances and the soft touches said otherwise. Their friends didn’t notice anything different, so that counted for something.

The thing was, Albert kind of fell completely head over heels for Race in that last year and a half of high school. It was pathetic, but he pined for so long it became second nature to him. Albert never did anything about it because Race specifically told him to forget what happened.

How can I forget what happened when I have the taste of your lips burned into my memory? Albert would wonder bitterly.

The rest of high school was a blur of tests and college applications and stress. Albert wasn’t quite sure how he or Race ended up in their caps and gowns, holding their diplomas up for their cooing mothers to snap pictures of. 

He vaguely remembers walking beside Race, completing the next phase of their lives. Then he remembers shaking the principals hand. And then he remembers walking back and his mother squeezing him to death with the biggest hug of his life. Race was sure to mention the day prior that he could die happy. He was five foot eleven and two inches taller than Albert. He called it his life’s greatest accomplishment. Not like graduating high school was a big deal or anything.

“I’m so proud of you two!” Maria Higgins gushed, wiping her eyes trying to rid herself of the few tears she shed during the ceremony.

“I can’t believe they’ll be off to college so soon,” Ms. DaSilva sighed. “It feels like just yesterday the two of you met on the first day of preschool. Oh I remember that so well. Race was-”

Mrs. Higgins elbowed her so hard that Albert’s mom almost lost her balance. She shook her head and coughed as if she was remembering herself and gave Maria a look neither boy could read.

“Right, sorry. That’s not important right now,” Helensmiled. “These two young men are starting their future.”

The rest of the day was filled with a lot of hugs and a lot of tears. Albert and Race, or more like their moms, decided to have a joint-grad party for the both of them. They were practically family anyway. It made no sense for them to do anything separate anyway.

Of course, they would have to start.

Race and his smart little ass got into MIT and would be leaving for Massachusetts in August, while Albert would be attending NYU. They had been trying their best to avoid that crucial fact. “Attached at the hip” might be hard when they’re states away from each other. 

Not to mention they would be saying goodbye to so many of their close friends. By the end of high school, Albert was able to honestly say they were his friends too, not just Race’s. He would miss them a lot.

-Race-

Race couldn’t believe his ears when JoJo called him. He had only been at college for a month when the lucky guy met his soulmate. 

He was walking back to his dorm when his phone began to buzz in his pocket. The blonde boy dug it out, seeing that it was his friend and answered it.

“Hello?”

“RACE YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED! IT CAME OUT OF NO WHERE AND I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT WAS HIM AND THEN I COULDN’T BELIEVE THAT IT WAS A HIM AND THEN I LOOKED AT HIM AFTER AND I DIED BECAUSE HE’S SO PRETTY AND-”

Race ripped the phone away from his ear quickly to preserve his ear drum from being shattered. 

“JoJo! Jesus Christ, slow down. I can’t understand anything you’re saying, buddy.”

“I met him. I met my soulmate.”

Race couldn’t believe it. He was happy for JoJo, who grew to be one of his closest friends, but he was also envious that he finally found his other half. Race wanted that.

“What? No way, man! That’s amazing! How did it happen?” Race said sincerely. He continued on his journey to his dorm.

“Well, I was walking through town,” Jojo began to explain, “And I was wearing my striped jeans-”

Race physically face palmed when JoJo mentioned the dreadful piece of clothing. Over the summer their group of friends had been out shopping and the boy found a pair of skinny jeans that were vertically striped black and white. They all advised him to not buy them. He didn’t listen. JoJo convinced himself that they were a good investment and bet that they’d be the next fashion trend of the year. He was still waiting for that to happen.

“And this guy bumps into me-- it was completely his fault, by the way-- and he looks at my pants and laughs, laughs at me. And I was like what the hell man that’s a bit rude. Then this guys says to me, Nice pants, dork.”

Race’s heart stutters involuntarily. He remembers JoJo’s Words vividly. His heart always lept when he heard someone else’s Words or soulmate story; he’s half convinced that when he hears his own Words his heart will completely stop.

“I was in such a state of anger I barely even registered that he said that or else I definitely wouldn’t have replied the way I did,” JoJo sounded embarrassed.

“Oh god. What did you say? What were his Words?” Race asked anxiously.

“Well… I might have said, thanks jackass, I found them in your mom’s closet.”

Race let out a loud laugh. Of course that was how JoJo found his soulmate.

After JoJo, everyone else slowly started to find their soulmate. He saw online hundreds of soulmate-announcement posts. They were sickenly cute and it made Race’s heart ache for his own soulmate.

Elmer found a nice girl who accidentally spilled a coffee on him and said, Whoops, sorry just as Elmer said, Good thing this shirt already had a stain on it. In the photo on instagram, the girls Words were displayed nicely on her collarbone and Elmer was positively beaming. 

Specs found the cutest boy named Romeo (very ironic, Race noted) with the warmest eyes and a soulmark that matched his own. Unfortunately, Romeo is a big fan of horrible pick up lines which explained why Specs’s soulmark said, Do you have a map? Because I keep getting lost in your eyes. Race laughed when he learned Romeo’s Words were, No, but try another pickup line, I’m sure they always work out for you.

Mush met an old friend of Jack’s nick-named Blink and what do you know, they were soulmates too. More followed after them, and every time he saw a new soulmate announcement, Race just felt more alone.

After JoJo found his, Race immediately went to the closest fire department and signed up to volunteer. He poured himself into first aid and CPR training and did everything he could to devote his life to fire safety. He stuck to volunteering and taking extra classes on top of college for three years. 

He hated it.

It was clear that he was not cut out for firefighting, but he kept pushing and working. This was what he was meant to do. He had to find his soulmate. He had to get himself on the right track.

“You know, maybe that’s not what your soulmark means,” Albert suggested when he was visiting one time. 

The two called and skyped more than once a day (some of their new friends said it was unhealthy) but nothing beat seeing each other in person. So they alternated driving to the other’s university and staying for the weekend as often as they could. It was their senior year and so far they had done the best possible job of staying close.

Race missed Albert a lot. He missed him more than he ever thought he would. The first week of college was hard on everyone, but aside from missing his loud family, Race missed his best friend. He missed going to his apartment building in the middle of the night when Race was feeling too sad to sleep. He missed Albert’s hugs and his smirk and when he rolled his eyes. He missed his fiery red hair and his academic drive and his shy smile when he was complimented. He missed everything about Albert. Race never thought the distance could hurt so much. It definitely didn’t have anything to do with the fact Race had somehow caught feelings after that night during junior year. He did his best to ignore them. It worked most of the time.

He told Albert immediately that he missed him too much and Albert, not surprisingly, was going through the same thing. That’s when they devised the plan to visit each other as often as they could. Everything felt easier when they were together. Race felt better as soon as he hugged Albert or even just saw his smiling face after a long time apart.

The blonde was currently pacing around in his room.

“I’ve been convinced this is my soulmark path since I was like six,” Race shot Albert a death glare. “If you’re telling me now that I’m wrong I’m gonna kick your ass.”

Albert threw his hands up in defense, “Hey, what do I know? Their your Words, not mine.”

It was almost one in the morning and Race was tired, but his mind was spinning. Maybe he was on edge because yesterday Davey and Jack finally announced after six fucking years that they were soulmates and got engaged. Race had already known, of course. He walked in on the two of them making out during senior year and was filled in on the whole story. Apparently they knew they were soulmates since they met in middle school, but they decided to hold off on dating and being together for a while so that they could become friends first. It was a surprisingly mature decision and Race still didn’t know how Davey convince Jack to go along with it. They started dating senior year and Race needed to learn to start knocking.

But now, it was official. And they were getting married. Holy shit. 

Race became obsessive over finding his soulmate. He was comitted to being a firefighter, but his true passion was science. He knew this, his family knew this, Albert knew this, but he still pushed it aside. Race just wanted someone to love. Maybe it was desperate and a bad idea to give up things in his own life to try to find someone else, but Race didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t take all the happy pictures on Instagram and the damn wedding invitations that would all come flying at him.

He was lucky Albert was staying the weekend. He showed up at Race’s door and Rce practically threw himself at him, suffocating him in a hug and releasing all his anxiety onto him in a record breaking thirty seconds. The redhead just stood there and blinked, completely confused but not really surprised. Once Albert could breathe, he sat on Race’s bed and told him to explain slowly. So he did. Even before he started talking, just being in Albert’s arms made most of his anxiety disappear. The rest trickled away as they spent the night together. Race kind of hated that Albert was the only person he needed in life sometimes.

It occurred to him a few times that maybe he was so obsessed with finding his soulmate because he knew it would get him over Albert. Race wasn’t much for pining. Albert would never love him that way; he was waiting for his soulmate. So Race was left to do the same. He wanted to meet whoever it was that the universe thought was a better match for him than the redhead.

Race’s roommate left before Albert showed up. He claimed, “I don’t want to be here when you and your boyfriend start doing it all over our shared apartment.” Race gaped and stuttered for words to explain for the millionth time that Albert was just his best friend, but his roommate left with a fond smile and wished him, sincerely, a good night.

“I just want to meet them already,” Race whined, stomping over to Albert and face planting on the bed next to him. “Why does everyone else get theirs, but me?”

“I haven’t found mine,” Albert pointed out, hoping it would help.

“Great,” Race’s muffled, sarcastic voice spat out.

“Okay, it’s late. You should just sleep and stop overthinking everything you’ve ever done in your entire life,” Albert advised. He moved to get up. “Where’s your air mattress?”

Race turned his head to look at the redhead and caught his arm before he stood. Albert glanced down at him, slightly surprised.

“Would you mind staying?” he asked shyly.

Albert looked torn for a moment, but then he sighed, “Okay.”

He crawled back into Race’s bed and the blonde boy readjusted and curled into Albert’s chest. He felt his best friend hesitate for a moment and then wrap his strong arms around him. Race snuggled even closer to him, breathing in the smell of the other boy. 

That was the best night sleep Race had in years. He just wished Albert was still there when he woke up in the morning, instead of clanging around in the kitchen making breakfast (which, yes, was very nice of him, but Race just wanted cuddles). The blonde boy told himself it didn’t mean anything. He was going to find his soulmate.

\---

The next time they saw each other was during spring break. They both agreed to head home to be with their families. Both Albert and Race were looking forward to it; their moms said they had a surprise for them.

As Race packed his bag he wondered what it could possibly be.

-Albert-

Of all the surprises in the world, Albert expected this the least. He couldn’t believe it. It was impossible.

It was the third night he and Albert had been home during spring break. Their moms suggested that the four of them get together and have a nice dinner. Ms. DaSilva insisted on cooking because she hadn’t had extra mouths to feed in far too long and she missed it. Race and his mom would be over around six and Albert came trotting down the stairs at five forty-five.

“What are you wearing?” his mother gave him an exasperated look as he entered the kitchen.

“What’s wrong with this?” Albert questioned, gesturing to his tee shirt and sweatpants.

“Go upstairs and put on something nice,” Ms. DaSilva told her son.

“Why? It’s just Race and his mom,” the redhead shrugged, snatching a carrot off the veggie platter. “And what’s with the huge dinner? You could’ve ordered pizza, put it on a paper plate, and Race still would’ve been impressed. It looks like you made enough food for an army. Are you stressed or something?”

Albert knew his mother cooked when she was stressed or nervous. What was the big deal? It was dinner with their closest friends.

“I’m sure Anthony would love pizza, but I wanted this dinner to be very nice. I made your favorite,” his mother explained.

Albert looked around and noticed his mother’s legendary chicken parmesan ingredients scattered across the counter. He grinned.

“You didn’t….”

“I did,” his mother smiled widely and opened the oven revealing the chicken inside.

“You’re the best!” Albert gave his mom a warm hug when she shut the oven.

“Yeah, yeah,” she waved him off. “Now, go change! Put on something nice.”

“How nice is nice?” her son narrowed his eyes at her.

“Khakis and a button down is fine,” Helen told him.

“Fine,” Albert disappeared upstairs to change quickly. Finding a nice formal jacket, he threw that over his outfit and gave himself a mental pat on the back. He didn’t look half bad.

He reappeared downstairs, dressed far too nicely for his own dining room. He cleared his throat and his mom turned and looked him over. She covered her mouth as a large, watery grin crossed her face.

“Mom,” Albert groaned. “Stop doing that. You haven’t given me that look since my high school graduation.”

“I’m sorry! It’s just that you look so handsome and grown up,” She waved her hands, as if that could dry the tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m just really proud of you and happy for you.”

“O-kay mom, thanks, but it’s just dinner,” Albert said giving her an odd look. She was being weird. 

The doorbell rang and she jumped. 

“Oh my god they’re here! Okay, okay,” Ms. DaSilva began rushing around the kitchen, much to Albert’s amusement. She took a deep breath and headed towards the front door.

“Albert, sweetheart, could you just lay out the plates and silverware on the table? They’re already out,” she called after her.

“Yeah, sure thing.”

As he did as his mother instructed, Albert heard the door open and Mrs. Higgins and Race’s voices in the next room over. He felt a bit nervous. His mom was making a really big deal out of this dinner. Would this be the surprise they had been talking about? His palms were suddenly sweaty. This was going to be rough.

“Well you look overly nice,” Albert’s head shot up and he saw Race wandering into the room with his signature smirk. The redhead was embarrassed for only a second, fearing his mom made him put on “real” clothes for no reason, before he realized Race was dressed just as formally.

“I could say the same to you,” Albert grinned. And it was true. Race looked good. Clearly his mom had told him to dress up as well, and knowing her, she probably picked out something for him to wear. 

“Do you have any ideas why this dinner is such a big deal?” Race asked, seriously.

Albert shook his head, “My mom went all out, plus they made us dress up. I have literally no idea.”

“Time to eat, boys!” they heard Ms. DaSilva call from the kitchen.

Catching up was nice, and the food was delicious, but Albert couldn’t shake the nervous feeling in his stomach. He could tell all through dinner that these two women were bursting to tell them something; he was terrified of what it might be. 

Once they finished eating, Race spoke up.

“Okay, can you two please just tell us what’s going on? I can’t take it anymore.”

Maria sighed, “Alright, alright.”

The mothers exchanged a look and Albert just knew they had some telepathic conversation going on between them and he hated it. He wanted to know what was going on. Of course, he really shouldn’t complain because he and Race seemed to have that same superpower. They used it against their moms when they were kids a lot. They could communicate with just a look. It was pretty cool, actually. But not when they used it against him.

“So you two have been friends for a very, very long time,” Albert’s mom started to explain.

“Yeah, like seventeen, eighteen years or something? We met when we were three, right?” Albert turned to Race.

The blonde nodded.

“Yes, and it’s great, the thing is,” Mrs. DaSilva paused, trying to find the right words.

“Mom, I’m not sure I like the sound of this,” Albert shifted uneasily in his seat. “Feels like you’re about to tell us we can’t be friends anymore.”

“Oh my god, no! Not at all, honey!”

Mrs. Higgins piped up, “This is just kind of hard to explain. It’s going to change your relationship and how you see each other.”

Race and Albert shared a look. 

“Not in a bad way!” Helen added. “This is a good thing. Or at least, we hope it is. The two of us agreed not to tell you until you were both twenty-one because we thought it might be easier on you.”

“What? Do I have like a long lost twin or something?” Albert joked, but it fell flat. He was too scared for it to sound even close to lighthearted.

“No, you’re definitely my only child,” Mrs. DaSilva assured him. She looked at her friend beside her. “I feel like we’re just beating around the bush, we should just tell them.”

“You’re right, you’re right,” the two spoke as if Albert and Race weren’t even there. After quiet discussion, they faced the boys again with smiles on their faces.

“Boys,” Maria said cheerily, “You two are soulmates!”

“Surprise!” Helen threw in, waving her hands.

Albert’s heart stopped. He felt like he was going to faint. His entire body froze and he went numb. He couldn’t breathe; he couldn’t think. Because, what the hell? Were they being serious? Was this some cruel joke? Did his mom find out about his awful crush on his best friend and decided to humiliate him and ruin his life and dragged Race’s mom in to help her? No, she wouldn’t do that. But, this didn’t make any sense! How could they possibly be soulmates? 

The redhead realized that breathing was actually necessary in order to not pass out. He tried to take deep breaths. His eyes remained glued to the table in front of him. This was too much for him. He had no idea what to think or how to think. Albert wanted to cry. 

You two are soulmates.

This was all he had ever dreamed of and it just couldn’t be true. That’s not how it worked.

He was vaguely aware of Race stuttering next to him and waving his arms around, probably freaking out just as much as Albert was. 

“WE’RE WHAT?” He shouted in disbelief, causing Albert to jump.

Mrs. Higgins straightened in her seat, realizing the two boys were confused and panicking.

“Okay, maybe we should explain.”

-Albert-

“Uh, yeah! Maybe!” Race slammed his elbows on the table and held his head in his hands, muttering to himself, trying to get a grip.

How could he and Albert be soulmates? It’s not possible. It’s not possible. His mind repeated it over and over. It’s not possible.

“So, as you both said, you met when you were three years old,” Mrs. DaSilva stated. “And do you remember when you first learned what soulmates were?”

“I was seven,” Albert’s voice was so quiet Race barely heard him. He glanced over at the boy beside him and he looked so scared and lost and it made Race want to cry. The blonde boy wanted his best friend to look over at him, so he could know that he cared and everything would be okay, but Albert’s eyes stayed glued to the table.

“I- I was probably around the same age,” Race said, thinking.

“Exactly. When you two met, you had no idea what a soulmate even was, so how could you have possibly known that you found your own? And you were both so young. We were absolutely shocked. Most people find their soulmates after they turn 14. There have been cases of people later in life, and those are rare, but earlier in life? That’s extremely rare. It practically never happens,” Helen was rambling a little.

Race’s mom looked at the two of them with kind eyes, “Do you remember when you met?”

Albert slowly looked up and met her eyes. Race shook his head. He couldn’t remember. It didn’t seem important before. Now, he wished more than anything that it would come back to him.

“I know we were on the playground. It was the first day of preschool,” Albert said quietly. “The rest is hazy.”

“That’s right,” Albert’s mom nodded. “You spotted a little boy playing in the grass and you tugged on my arm and asked if you could go play. And I said yes and walked you over to him and where his mother was seated on a bench nearby.”

“Do either of you remember what toy Race was playing with?” Mrs. Higgins asked, making them think. “It was one of the ones from the preschool’s bin.”

Race tensed up. It all came back to him. He started to remember tiny things about that day. As Albert replied, “No,” Race breathed out his answer.

“A toy firetruck.”

A smile broke out onto both mothers’ faces again.

“Shit,” Race heard Albert whisper. Everything started to line up.

“I walked over with you, Albert, and you let go of my hand and ran to Anthony and said, Wow, I love your firetruck!” Mrs. DaSilva explained. “I didn’t think anything of it, but Maria here jumped up off the bench so fast I thought she was going to fall over. I didn’t understand why until I saw Anthony smile at you and say kindly, Want to play with it?”

“I immediately raced over to Helen because I had no idea what to do. I knew what it meant but how was I supposed to react to my three year old meeting his soulmate?” Mrs. Higgins laughed a little. “I’m just thankful we were both there and heard the Words.”

“We got to talking that day, and I can’t even remember exactly what we said, but one of us suggested to wait to tell you until you were older and knew what soulmates were,” Helen said. “We even wondered if it was a coincidence and you weren’t actually soulmates. We kinda knew that it was true when you two become best friends so quickly.”

“You two have just always worked well together,” Maria sounded choked up. “Watching the two of you grow up, it’s been amazing. I am so thankful to have witnessed such a beautiful relationship. I mean, there were so many times we just wanted to tell you.” 

“We decided on twenty-one because you two will be graduating college soon and you got to learn to grow up and discover yourself without getting blinded by the excitement of a soulmate,” Mrs. DaSilva told the boys. “Both Maria and I met our soulmates after college and after seeing and comparing our other friends’ relationships we figured that this would work best.”

The two moms finished their explanation and waited. Race wasn’t sure what they were waiting for. Maybe they expected him to jump up and cheer or lean over and give Albert a kiss or wipe everything off the table and throw the redhead on it and make out with him. Race did none of these things. It was probably dumb, but the first thing Race said was,

“Wait, so are you telling me that I went through years of CPR and firefighting training to for NOTHING?!” He screeched, jumping out of his chair.

“Well, I wouldn’t say it was for nothing-” Albert began to mumble.

“You, be quiet. This is your fault!” Race yelled, glaring at him. There was no hatred in his voice, however.

Albert threw his arms up in defense.

Race began to pace all over the dining room and kitchen. He mumbled quietly, trying to make sense of everything. Occasionally his head shot up and he would yell at someone in the room.

“Mom! How could you not tell me, ‘Oh by the way, Anthony, you shouldn’t waste your time becoming a firefighter because you don’t enjoy it and it has nothing to do with your soulmate’? Or something!”

“Hey, I tried to tell you to quit! You didn’t listen to me,” Albert pointed out.

“This is insane!” Race continued pacing.

The mothers exchanged another look and Helen said, “Maybe we should give you two some time alone. We’ll be upstairs.”

They walked out of the room and Race slowed to a stop and faced Albert. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out and he dropped his arms to his sides, exasperated. He had no idea what to do. He had no idea what to say. Here, sitting before him, was the one person in the world he was most comfortable with and for the first time ever, he was at a loss for words with him.

“So,” Albert said awkwardly. “Wasn’t really expecting that, huh?”

Race snorted and shook his head fondly. 

“I’m not really sure what we do now,” Albert admitted.

Race nodded, dragging a chair out from the table and sitting sideways in it, facing Albert’s body.

“Fuck,” Albert rubbed his face. “I mean- this is kind of really huge.”

The redhead looked up and met Race’s eyes and the blonde’s breath caught in his throat. Little things started to click into place in Race’s mind. Thousands of reasons he loved Albert rushed up to the surface after years of being ignored and they made his heart flutter. This beautiful boy in front of him was his soulmate. He couldn’t believe his luck. Albert was perfect in so many ways. He was everything Race had dreamed of, and suddenly the world is telling him that he can have him. It was all very overwhelming.

“Race? Could you just say something?” Albert looked scared and desperate. Race realized that he hadn’t said anything on the subject to his best friend except complaining about being a firefighter. He looked down and internally winced. “Anthony?”

His head shot up. Albert hadn’t called him that in a long time. It sounded so perfect and nice, Race’s heart fluttered again. A smile spread across his face and he leaned forward.

“What are you-”

This kiss was everything Race had ever wanted. It was soft and full of love. It wasn’t rushed or desperate; Race moved slowly, with all the time in the world. Albert’s eyes fluttered closed finally and he sighed and kissed back. They eventually had to pull back because Race was having a hard time kissing when he couldn’t stop smiling, it was mostly teeth bumping. With one final soft peck, he pulled away, feeling happier than he’d ever been in his life.

Albert was smiling too and no, now Race had never been happier.

The redhead suddenly looked uncertain and glanced away, ducking his head. Race heard him quietly say,

“I never forgot our first kiss. I know you told me to, and that it was a mistake, but I never forgot. Fuck, Race. I’m pretty sure I fell in love with you after that night. I just- I couldn’t forget it.”

Race lifted Albert’s chin gently and gave him a small, vulnerable smile.

“Me neither.”

Albert’s eyes filled with hope. He grabbed Race’s face and pulled him into another kiss. Albert poured all the emotions he had into it and all Race could do was take them in willingly. After a while, they pulled apart again.

“As happy as I am kissing you, and I hope to never stop, ever, we should probably talk,” Race suggested. “I have a feeling we have a lot we didn’t tell each other.”

“You’re right,” Albert nodded.

They went to the roof. Race hadn’t been up there since that night in high school. Albert stopped going up there often due to the strong memories it brought back. It was the right place for them to talk.

The sun set over the city as the two boys leaned against the railing of the rooftop. It was far enough back from the ledge that Race could keep his heart under control and wouldn’t freak out about the possibility of falling. It almost didn’t matter, though. His heart was beating so fast it was as if he was already falling. Just being around Albert did that to him. They stood side by side in silence, looking out at the city, and Race was scared Albert would be able to hear his heart pounding in his chest. If he did, he didn’t comment.

“You know, I feel pretty stupid,” Race said, breaking the silence.

“Oh yeah? That’s a first,” Albert teased, glancing at him.

“Shut up,” the blonde shoved the other boy. “I’m just saying that I should’ve noticed a long time ago that our Words go together.”

“Yeah. Not sure how we missed that.”

Race stared at Albert’s profile, as the redhead boy closed his eyes and breathed deep, taking in the air. His eyes opened again and looked out to the skyscrapers and falling sun. Race took in his beauty and wanted to sigh. He was in too deep. He’d fallen too far for this boy. Albert had a hold on his heart since they were three, and Race had never once asked for it back. He didn’t even know it until he was seventeen. When he kissed Albert, everything changed. Suddenly, Albert wasn’t just his best friend. All these feelings came out of nowhere and Race spent years letting his eyes linger the boy long after Albert looked away. Taking him in now, the blonde finally understood why he never wanted to look away.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” he said quietly. 

Albert finally looked away from the view and his brown eyes met Race’s bright blue ones.

“I couldn’t say that before,” Race blushed a little. “Now I guess I can.”

“Before?” Albert questioned.

“Well, yeah. I’ve wanted to kiss you for like the past four years of our lives,” the blonde shrugged.

Albert’s jaw dropped. When he recovered from his shock he punched Race in the shoulder. It hurt a lot more than Race wanted to admit. 

“You’re an idiot.”

“Well I thought we already covered that, but sure let’s bring that up again,” Race said sarcastically.

“Last time we were here… when we first kissed… you said it was a mistake,” Albert looked small and uncertain and Race just wanted to hug him. “Did you mean that?”

The taller boy sighed, “I thought it was a mistake because I stole your first kiss and that special moment you were supposed to have with your soulmate. I thought it was a mistake not because it was bad-- believe me it’s still the best kiss I’ve had to this day-- but because it was so perfect. I couldn’t have feelings for you, you were completely devoted to your soulmate. But I messed up anyway and caught feelings and everything sucked and I hated the soulmate system forever after that night.”

“I don’t know. I think it knows what it’s doing,” Albert smirked.

“See, in case you didn’t notice, I’m trying to explain to you that I’ve had a giant fucking crush on you for the past like four years of my life,” Race said sarcastically, “But sure, let’s just ignore that.”

“I’ll be honest, I’m not really sure what to do with that information,” Albert gave a little shrug, leaning on the rail and facing his friend. “It’s hard to believe that because I spent four years pining and doing the same thing. And besides, you dated a lot of people and I knew it was just another kiss for you. I didn’t think it meant as much to you as it did for me.”

“Are you serious?” Race laughed in disbelief. “Albie, why do you think I haven’t dated anyone since that night?”

“I-,” Albert stopped himself. Now that he thought about it, Race really hadn’t dated anyone since. Albert didn’t notice; he just thought Race finally grew out of it like everyone did after high school. But Race stopped long before high school was over. Huh.

Race got quiet. He took both Albert’s hands in his and stared at them for a moment, before taking a deep breath and saying, “That night meant everything to me. I just didn’t want to lose you. So, I brushed it off and pushed it away.”

Albert stared at their hands too. “This is completely insane.”

Race’s eyes shot up to find the redhead smiling to himself. He released one of Race’s hands and used the other to hold out on of his forearms. Albert’s fingers traced over the soulmark he had bared proudly for his entire life. Race shivered, feeling a slight burning tingle in his arm.

“So I guess that’s from me. I’ve looked at it about a hundred times, wishing those Words came out of my mouth. Never did I believe it could be possible,” Albert said quietly, fingers still dancing over the dark words. He chuckled a little. “Can’t believe I didn’t even notice my own handwriting.”

“Wait, really?” Race looked at his own arm, suddenly interested. Albert burst out laughing. “Hey, don’t laugh at me! It’s not my fault I didn’t realize it was your handwriting either. Your handwriting is nice,” he said quietly.

“Thanks,” Albert smiled. His brown eyes met Race’s.

“Could I-,” Race hesitated a moment. “Can I see yours?”

Albert nodded silently and turned around. He gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Race’s eyes began at the small of his back-- did he always have those cute dimples down there?-- and moved upward. He was gonna take his time, enjoying Albert’s surprisingly muscular back. His eyes finally reached their destination, Albert’s left shoulder. Sure enough, he looked closer and the Words were there, etched in Race’s own handwriting.

He placed his hand lightly on the redhead’s shoulder and rubbed his thumb over the sentence. He felt Albert shiver slightly. He knew he must’ve been feeling that same tingle. A wave of happiness overcame Race. This was Albert. This was his handwriting on his shoulder. This was his soulmate. The universe really did know what it was doing. The blonde pressed a soft kiss to Albert’s soulmark.

He turned around and looked a Race with a soft smile. 

“This is gonna take a while for me to get used to and actually believe,” he admitted.

“Me too,” Race giggled. His eyes scraped up and down Albert’s exposed chest. Damn, he thought.

“Also, on an unrelated note,” Race began. “How are you so fucking hot? Like, how the fuck did you get more attractive?”

Albert hit him on the side with the shirt in his hand. Hard. But, Race could see the blush on his cheeks. Race just laughed and Albert tugged his shirt back on over his head. After a few moments, he reached down and linked his and Race’s hands together.

“I just can’t believe this whole time we were meant to be together.”

“Let’s be real here, we were basically together anyway. I have no doubt in my mind that we would’ve followed each other around for the rest of our lives. The only thing different is, now we have a title,” Race grinned.

“You’re right about that,” Albert agreed, matching Race’s wide smile. “So, soulmates, huh?”

“You think anyone will be surprised when we tell them?” Race wondered.

“No,” the redhead laughed. “All our friends probably already knew.”

“Should we even bother with an announcement?”

Albert looked offended, “I’ve been waiting for this day my entire life, there’s no way we aren’t going to announce it to the world in a gross romantic way, okay asshole?”

“I’m just kidding,” and then Race leaned in and pecked Albert on the cheek, just because he could.

\---

“I’m home!” Race called as he closed the front door behind him. 

“We’re in the living room!”

A large golden retriever came bounding through the house and up to him, tailing wagging furiously. He spun in circles around Race’s legs, begging for attention.

“Hi, Sammy,” the blonde grinned, and scratched the excited dog. “Hey, buddy.”

After greeting his dog, Race toed off his shoes, hung his jacket, and set his bag down on the counter. He navigated through the house to the living room, the golden at his heels. He peaked his head in and smiled at the sight before him. He leaned on the door frame and shoved his hands in his pockets. Sammy walked past him and into the room.

A familiar mop of red hair was sitting cross legged on the ground with a little girl balancing in his lap. What looked like hundreds of papers and messy bottles of paint were splayed out before them. The room was littered with completed four-year-old masterpieces. Albert was talking quietly to their daughter, encouraging her painting and explaining what to do.

Race wondered how he ever got so lucky.

“Dad!” 

Suddenly Race had a seven-year-old running at him and slamming into his legs, hugging him and beaming up at his face. Race, maintaining his balance, greeted his son.

“Hiya, champ,” he picked him up and tossed him a little, jokingly, before balancing the little boy on his hip. “How are you?”

“Good! We’ve been painting all day! Mine are much better than Gracie’s,” the tiny blonde haired boy declared proudly. “And Sammy painted too!”

“Oh, did he?” Race looked around the room and saw some faded paw print-shaped paint splotches on the carpet. Great. The golden retriever at that moment plopped down on the ground, resting his head on his paws, trying to look innocent. 

From the floor, Albert turned his head and smiled at his husband standing at the door.

“Papa, I wanna go see Daddy,” Grace piped up from Albert’s lap. He released her and she trotted over to Race too, hugging his legs. Race leaned down to give her a small squeeze. He set down Daniel and they both wandered back to their painting.

Albert stood, brushing himself off, smearing a little bit of paint on his old tee shirt. As he walked over to Race he explained,

“Apparently the last time Uncle Jack babysat them he showed them finger painting. They haven’t stopped talking about it since so,” he shrugged.

“Of course. Then I guess I have Jack to thank for ruining my living room carpet,” Race rolled his eyes.

“It’ll probably come out. Davey has a lot of great techniques for cleaning this stuff,” Albert began to ramble.

“I’m sure he does,” Race said impatiently. “Now, get over here.”

Once the redhead was an arm’s length away, Race tugged him by the shirt towards him and gave him a short kiss, his hands resting on the redhead’s waist. Albert’s hands held the sides of his shoulders and he sighed into the kiss.

Albert pulled back with a smile, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Race whispered back.

“How was work?” Albert asked, pulling back and standing beside Race so they could watch their two kids.

“Good,” Race said, truthfully. He definitely prefered his work in quantum physics over his old so-called dream career of firefighting. “Just some regular old boring science stuff, but it was productive.”

“You know I don’t think your job is boring-”

“Daddy, look!” their daughter called over and held up a painted picture of a butterfly. Race’s heart melted at the sight of her.

“That’s amazing, sweetheart,” Race complimented, heading over to Grace and taking a seat beside the painting set-up. Albert sat across from them next to Daniel.

“Hey, Papa, our teacher mentioned something called ‘soulmates’ in school today,” Grace said as she focused on her painting. “What’s a soulmate?”

Albert glanced up at Race and smiled.

“Well, you know the stories we read you and your brother before bed? With princes and princesses and true love?”

She nodded. Daniel now was paying attention too.

“Well, soulmates have to do with true love,” Albert began. “A soulmate is another person living in the world that you will meet one day. They’re supposed to be the one who makes you a better person. They walk through life by your side and help you and experience everything with you. And you’ll do the same for them.”

“And you love them?” Grace asked innocently.

Race felt a fond smile cross his face as he looked at Albert explain the concept to their kids.

“Yeah,” Albert told her. He looked up at Race. “You love them.”

“So, what’s a soulmark?” Daniel asked. “I’ve heard about those.”

“Well, a soulmark is a mark on your skin that helps you find your soulmate,” Race jumped in. “It’s the first words your soulmate will say to you. Grace, yours are on your wrist, see? And Daniel yours are the words on your ankle.”

“Is Papa your soulmate, Daddy?” Grace asked.

“Yes, he is,” Race told her happily without missing a beat.

“So how did you guys meet?” Daniel asked, intrigued. “Did you hear your Words? Was it love at first sight?”

Albert laughed, “Slow down.”

“Let’s just start off by saying that our story actually has more to do with the years after we met. We are more unconventional than most soulmates. We met, but we went through the struggles of growing up and falling in love all without knowing we were meant to be together,” Race explained.

“Life wanted us to be together right from the start. Soulmates are meant to walk side-by-side through life. We didn’t know we were soulmates until we were twenty-one years old, but somehow we already spent most of our lives together side-by-side. Funny how that happens. Our souls seemed to know we belonged together, even if our minds didn’t yet.”

Race loved Albert. He loved him with his entire heart. They sat there, recalling their tale, with eyes locked the entire time. It still blew his mind how lucky he got. Not many people got to grow up and fall in love with their soulmate like they did. Race got his best friend for his soulmate. There was nothing better than that.

“That didn’t make a lot of sense,” Daniel spoke up, “But I’m glad you two fell in love.”

“Yeah,” Albert said. “Me too.”


End file.
